The Boston Bruins did more than just survive Charlie McAvoy's suspension

Charlie McAvoy and the Boston Bruins had to wait a very long off-season for McAvoy to finally serve his 2025-26 playoffs suspension, and it wasn't as bad as everyone thought it might be.

In game six of the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs, Charlie McAvoy was suspended for six games for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson. The Sabres would win that series, setting McAvoy up to face his a delayed suspension into the beginning of the next season. When the league handed down the suspension, it looked like it might make for a very difficult first six games of the season for the Boston Bruins.

McAvoy is easily the Bruins' top defender and one of the top three players on the team. Last season, he led all Bruins' defensemen in goals, assists, and points. He also led all Bruins' skaters in average time on ice, and was second among skaters' in total time on ice. All of these impressive numbers came from playing just 69 games last season. It's safe to say that losing a defenseman like McAvoy could be devastating on a hockey team.

However, the "six-game early-season purgatory without defenseman Charlie McAvoy", as Bleacher Report writer Lyle Fitzsimmons wrote, has come to an end and the Boston Bruins did not fall apart. Instead, they find themselves sitting first in the Atlantic Division.

The Boston Bruins finished McAvoy's six game suspension with a record of 4-2. All things considered, they survived pretty well without their top defender. The Bruins got off to a hot start on the season, winning their first two games 3-0 over the New York Rangers and 5-4 in overtime over the Winnipeg Jets.

The following two games were both 4-1 losses, first against the Minnesota Wild and then against the Ottawa Senators. Concern was definitely raised after those two games, with many worrying that the Bruins were finally facing their McAvoy-less fate. Giving up eight goals across two games is certainly concerning for the state of the Bruins defensive core. Offense wasn't working great either, with just two goals in as many games.

However, the Bruins bounced back, taking wins in the final two games of McAvoy's suspension. The offense kicked in again, with Pastrnak, Minten and Geekie finding the net multiple times. Jeremy Swayman faced 37 shots against the Utah Mammoth and only gave up one goal. The Bruins moved up in the power rankings, thanks to some strong work during McAvoy's suspension. After picking up another win in McAvoy's return, now sit at the top of the Atlantic Division standings, tied with the Ottawa Senators.

While McAvoy was out of the lineup, the Bruins were able to test some alternative pairings, including putting Hampus Lindholm and Will Borgen together. The pairing outscored their opponents 6-1 while on the ice and give the Bruins another option should the pairing of Hampus Lindholm and McAvoy not work out in the long run.

It would have been easy for the Bruins to find themselves in a losing skid to start the season. However, the team banded together and was able to bounce back from a couple of down games to find themselves at the top of the pile. Plus, in his return, McAvoy scored and logged over 20 minutes of ice time. All things point to a bit of a weight lifted off the shoulders of Boston Bruins fans and management.

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